The Rebel Within: "If I go Crazy....?" chap.1/?
by C.P HOWELLS
Summary: 100 years before TPM: Ardo'ack Dasina is his aunt's Padawan Learner, young and caring he can't stop helping others, even when he's not supposed to. At sixteen Ard battles his anger, fear, and his rebellious nature.


Disclaimer: Starwars and all related material belong to Lucasfilm, except my own creations, dialogue and scenarios. Believe me, I did not make any money off of this. 

This story is Old Republic, pre-TPM. 

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After posting it by chapter, I will bring them all together to make one large file and make a revised edition. 

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Author's note: This story takes place ~100 years before TPM.

Thoughts are in //…. //

A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…

Ardo'ak Dasina stood a few meters above the grassy mass of trees, artificial hills, and waterfalls, that encompassed the whole of the Gravel City Preservation on Morkar. 

He moved his head for a better view of the dirt ground, a kilometer or so below him, and maneuvered his sixteen year old frame around the metal scaffolding that was holding him upright. The scaffolding were a grouping of slim durasteel bars arrayed for the dome construction crews, upon observation earlier that day, Ard had decided that that would be the perfect observation post, using it as it was never intended. 

As the young Padawan got a better view of the ground and one of a few of the number of animals in the dome, he became unbalanced and lost his footholding. 

If not for faster-than-average reflexes he would have been dead on the ground. Thankfully his arms had been free to steady him.

//So that's why humans were born without wings: we were never meant to be high in the air. // He thought with wry amusement. 

He judged the distance between the bars, and put one of his feet out to test one's sturdiness. The bar rocked dangerously, creaking and making a shrill noise.

Ard brought his foot back hurriedly. 

He swore to himself that he would never do this again, although he doubted that he would remember that promise next week, tomorrow, or even in a few minutes time.

He was dressed in a simple black tunic and pants, the best to merge with the surroundings and not be seen by the animals, temperamental from their small contact with civilization.

The Preservation was closed to outsiders, but he had decided that he would 'visit' the artificial habitat. 

Was it misuse of the Force?

Probably. 

But however strong the Force was, what ever incredible feats it could allow one so trained to achieve, was nothing compared to the power of a sixteen year olds mind of rebellion, a mind that could rationalize every decision made, ill or good. 

//It's not like I don't have a reason; I only want to see Floppy. // 

Floppy was the Ignautian Tree Dog he and his master had found on their last excursion into the Cimran system, on a planet whose governor prized rare animals. 

Explaining the presence of one member of the nearly extinct Tree Dogs.

He was worried about the floppy appendaged animal, it had been so upset with the space travel that the crewers had wanted to put it in stasis, and Ard had refused. Instead the young jedi had spent the three-day hyperspace voyage by the animal's stasis cage, keeping it company and willing it to be calm. 

Ard did not envy his Master; the elder woman had been the one to deal with the crewers, trying to explain her decision with sayings and bits of wisdom. That had calmed them slightly, words form a jedi were highly prized, and if she thought it was a good idea, then who were they to argue with her?

Of course it hadn't been her idea. She had wanted nothing to do with the animal, her feelings bordering on the cruel; of course her impartiality was what made her such a good teacher.

Ard was her opposite, always looking out for the others, and taking on projects that had nothing to do with their mission. 

Like what he was doing now.

His musings were cut short however as a hum filled the air, Ard's hearing picking it up before any of the animals, abruptly heads of various kinds and appendages moved and rustle foliage, disturbing the peace. 

Ard was again in error, he thought he had timed his intrusion well, between both work droid crews and sentries. 

If any managed to pick him up on their sensors, the security force would instantly be contacted, and Ard would be in more trouble than he could handle. 

Looking over his shoulders and all around the dome, he soon spotted a grouping of the droids moving in pre-programmed flight paths, and one was coming his way!

These droids were small and triangular with two bulbous spheres on the fore looking like giant bubbles, they had small maneuvering jets on theirs corner tips, and repulsors pads on their afts. 

Ard never thought he would move so quickly. 

He turned away from the nearest droid and looked at the maze of beams ahead of him, he would have to safely navigate through all of it. 

Running and making slight jumps he managed to enlarge the distance between him and a few of the sentries, though making foolish actions; not testing the weight of any of the bars before he jumped on them. 

He rationalized it by telling himself he didn't have the time. 

//Right. Say that to rationalize your death. //

He had been making good time, staying out of the sentries' way for almost a minute; they patrolled for two, widespan sensors doing the work quickly and efficiently. 

Sweat rolled down his average, yet muscled frame, his brown hair sticky with sweat. 

Wrapping his arms around bars and lifting himself to the others, it was a mean surprise for the boy when a red beam of light flashed in his line of flight. Twisting carefully and with a slight use of acrobatics, he managed to catch another nearby bar, and stop himself from going into the light's path, right before it turned off and blinked on again at another part of the dome. 

Lights flashed everywhere, looking behind his shoulder for a moment to see a triad of the sentries; Ard sped up and maneuvered through the railing. 

Lights flashed around him, like blaster bolts, and he jumped and dodged to avoid them. He saw one out of the corner of his eye just miss his head, and another going through his legs; the chase would soon be over. 

He managed to make it to the next section of scaffolding, a large gap of twenty meters between both scaffoldings that threatened to swallow him whole. . The look below was not promising, a deep fall into the midst of trees, of the course the look ahead was not promising either. 

The incentive the young jedi needed did not show itself slowly, more sentries had joined those tracking him, and with a tenseness of his legs he pushed off from the railing. 

For a slight moment he though he wouldn't make it, that he would die needlessly and stupidly, un-jedi-like as could be. 

He saw the scaffolding rush up to meet him, and he hit his target, hard. 

Pain lanced through his back as he landed awkwardly, rolling, and finally coming to his feet. 

He watched behind him as the sentries turned away, leaving him to smile slightly, until he caught movement from the corner of his eye. 

Another sentry was making it's way towards him, not from behind, but facing him. 

He moved a foot back from where he came. 

He would later wish that he had listened harder and had heard the sound of creaking metal, because that sound would have told him that the scaffolding was giving away. 

He fell straight into green oblivion. 

INSPIRED BY THE JEDI APPRENTICE SERIES

STARWARS

THE REBEL WITHIN

Book I

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"If I go crazy….?"

By C.P Howells

CHAPTER I

He heard garbled voices, his head ached, and he could see kaleidoscopes of colors on the inside of his eyelids. 

He thought he was going to be sick. 

He fought to raise his back from the large metal cot, wincing as pain racked his joints and back. 

His vision swam, and a thin blue face came into his line of sight, small horns protruded from its head and it used a talloned hand to aid him.

"We on Morkar prefer metal slabs as our beds," the being was an adult male, and spoke in fractured basic. "I am apologize for our wrongness, humans use not metal, huh?" Make that loud, fractured basic. 

Ard winced in pain as his head throbbed. 

"Could you speak a bit softer, my head…" He placed his fragile sanity in the palms of his hands, leaning over to help the blood rush to his head. 

"Oh," The morkaran said, "good things I give you, moments take." The alien spoke with exaggerated softness now, and Ard could barely hear him. 

He decided not to say anything.

Ard soon felt a sting in his arm that lasted only a second; the morkaran stood by his side a derma-injector in his hand. In seconds the pain in his head ceased, and the room stopped spinning. 

A good thing to, he hadn't been able to touch the Force while in pain, and now he sensed many beings around him, throughout whatever building he was in. 

Hesitantly Ard stood up, and took in his surroundings with one glance. A small room with medical supplies strewn about files on a cluttered desk, no viewports, and one nervous morkaran.

Ard flashed him a smile, and the morkaran straightened its posture, and unfolded the large set of wings at its back, their span twice the length of his arms. It pointed to itself with a three taloned hand. 

"Cimdle Raek." Then at Ard. "Ardack Dasn." Ard shook his head. 

"Ardo'ack Dasina," at Cimdle's attempts to pronounce his name properly, Ard shook his head in exasperation. "Just call me Ard." Cimdle nodded. 

"You jedi, huh?" he asked, Ard nodded. "Clear woman wait for you, follow please." Cimdle did not wait for a reply as he swiftly turned and exited and the door opened for him. 

"Where am I?" Ard asked the morkaran as he swiftly walked down tall yet slim corridors. 

"On Morkar." Cimdle replied as if speaking to a child. Ard was the one who felt he was speaking to a child. 

"Where on Morkar? I know I wasn't supposed to be in the preservation but-" Cimdle flapped his wings, and waved an arm being him nonchalantly. 

"No worry, it's cared from. We in Preservation Authority Center, sentries catch and bring you here, only trouble come from your Caretaker. She very upset."

//She has a right to be; I left the embassy without her permission, broke into a secure place, and fell to unconsciousness. And on top of that I might have bruised the republic's relations with Morkar. //

They went down a flight of stairs and exited another door, coming out into a wide expanse of city and a throng of people. 

Ard walked into a wall of heat and immediately broke into sweat. 

Stone dwellings reminiscent of ancient cultures spanned the streets, the pillars holding up the roofs of the dwellings were old and dusty, and Morkarans of various size, age, and color walked about with flags and playing music. 

"Welcome to Mierban." Cimdle said with a smile.

"Mierban?" Ard looked around curiously, children ran through the streets, people threw paper from atop their apartments, and couples hugged together; joy was a prominent emotion at this place. 

"Life is Meirban, celebration of continued existence, today we honor past warriors." 

"You mean, Meirban is the celebration to an end of a war?" Ard asked, to which Cimdle nodded and smiled. "An anniversary?"

"To the end of Civil Anger." Ard looked about at the parade of people, the many kiosks of vendors, and the joy of the ageless. 

//An anniversary to the end of Civil War. //

Ard glanced at Cimdle who looked on longingly, and asked him hesitantly. 

"Is it because of me that you do not join the celebration?"  
Cimdle shook his head sadly and placed a hand on Ard's shoulder.

"No," he said, "Celebrate I tonight, with mate and children, day I work. Only old, young, and mates celebrate the day." Ard nodded. 

"I see." 

They stood and watched the celebration for a few moments more, giving Ard time to adjust to what had happened. It seemed to be midday, he had to have been unconcious for many hours then, plenty of time for his aunt to have repaired any damage made and apologize when needed. If he wasn't in a jail pen already then he assumed that everything had gone smoothly. 

Ard sighed; he had been on Morkar before of course, but only a fleeting visit. 

Of course he had been only fourteen at the time, and had not been allowed out of his aunt's sight. 

Morkar was far from the Republic, one of it's member worlds at the edge of Middle Rim, and surprisingly peaceful considering all the pirates, smugglers, and gangsters that populated the Outer Rim. It's people had joined the Republic shortly after the great democracy had stilled many conflicts on the humid planet, a planet that was now known for it's kindness to outsiders. 

Ard had known that the planet had once been embroiled in war, how could he not? He was forced to know the history of every planet he was assigned to, his aunt making sure he knew where he went. 

Ard supposed he had missed the section on Mierban. 

Morkarans spent millennia in wars, training to fight as children, and putting all development into weapons. When the Republic had stopped the wars and Morkar had turned into a peaceful race, the winged beings had come together to preserve the nature they had almost destroyed. With it's beautiful forests and vast lakes, Morkar was essential a very large preservation, open to all species of the galaxy.

And now it stood, beautiful, pristine, with great stone dwellings that hid the technology that the planet held. 

Cimdle shook Ard's shoulder, breaking him from his reverie. 

"Come, we go see Overseer, and watch for little children, they fall underfoot always, huh?" Cimdle laughed, and Ard joined in, Cimdle's wings flapping rapidly. 

Children, no matter what species, were always troublesome.

"How many children do you have?" Ard asked, trying to keep up with the long strides of his companion.

They were now walking on the sides of the street, keeping away from the grand celebration, but still within sight of the festivities. The paths were cracked and stony, and under the heat of the sun Ard wished that he wasn't still dressed in his black pants and tunic. 

Cimdle smiled wistfully, his fangs showing slightly amid his purple lips. 

"Three males, two females." Cimdle glanced at the young Padawan. "Eldest male one season early than you."

Ard's eyebrows raised slightly, he hadn't thought the morkaran to be that old. 

"They're participating in the celebration then?" Ard asked. 

"Yes, but not eldest, he of age this year." Cimdle smiled a father's smile of pride. "He my assistant at the preservation, at moment he has monitor duty at main complex." 

The two separated for a moment, Cimdle moving on the left and Ard at the right, as a large group of Morkarans performed a kind of juggling act with large ovals. 

"When of age do your kind become?" Cimdle asked the human as they met back together, after going around the street performers. 

Ard shrugged. 

"On Coruscant, they don't exactly have a time of age, that is usually when the parents are willing to let the child go." Cimdle frowned and nodded. //Probably thinking of when he'll have to let his own children grow up. // Ard thought. "But the jedi," Ard continued. "We train from birth, and a moment comes after 13 seasons when one must be chosen by an elder, to be that elder's apprentice." Cimdle nodded. 

"You Clear Woman's apprentice, huh?" Ard nodded.

"They didn't explain this to you?" He asked. "Your superiors?" 

Cimdle shook his head. 

"They say you Clear Woman's, that she jedi, that you young jedi." Ard shrugged. 

"Well it doesn't work exactly like that." They continued to walk for several moments before Ard asked another question. "Why do you call her the 'Clear Woman'?" Cimdle laughed, his wings flapping incessantly. 

"She so white!" and the morkaran laughed louder. He touched Ard's own pale skin. "Like you, even to other humans you both so white. Morkarans all blue, only are white when born, to us you look all young."

Ard nodded, and even smiled slightly, he supposed it was funny from a morkaran's perspective. 

"Why you on Morkar?" Cimdle asked when he had calmed down. 

Ard rolled up the sleeves of his tunic, the heat causing perspiration to break out over his body. 

"Several days ago, my Master and I were stationed on Fentin IV, investigating a report of biological weapons being constructed. Before we had managed to come very far in our search, we were called away by the jedi Council, telling us to report here. Two other jedi arrived a day later to replace us, as of yet we have no idea why we are here, well I don't anyway." Ard said. 

Cimdle nodded and opened his mouth to speak when a large tone rang, loud enough so that it filled the entire market and stilled all movement of the parade.

Ard stopped along with Cimdle, as the morkarans all looked on expectantly, Ard turned his head from side to side frantically, looking to see what the cause was. 

At the end of the market, which was almost out of Ard's view because of the sea of Morkarans and their large flapping wings, a gate much like a bridge on an old castle, opened up. 

"What is that place." Ard turned to Cimdle and whispered. Cimdle did not even look at Ard longer than a second before he turned back to the gates. 

"That our place to go, Overseer gates."

Ard could only make out the top of the gates, and turned form the scene to look about for a means of a better view. 

Though not as accomplished as some others in levitation, Ard's balance was perfect, and so when he spotted a ledge a foot above Cimdle's head he wasted no time, anxious to see what was happening. 

Balance was child's play for him, a simple means of lending one's muscle mass to that of the object you were balanced on. He could balance atop skylines with no problem, even the top points of trees in a storm, all with using the Force upon his own body. 

He spotted a door handle not too high above him, probably several feet form his head and he leaped on it. As soon as his left foot caught on it, he sprung himself off of it to kick himself off a nearby wall, and flipping back swiftly he landed softly atop the ledge.

Cimdle did not even notice. 

The gates were wide open now, and a large mass floated out amid repulsor lift fields. And all at once, as if their minds were linked, were one being, the Morkaran populace applauded. 

Cries of welcome and cheers rang throughout the market, even louder than the tone that announced this structure's appearance. 

The structure itself was like a spider's belly, round with large winding arms of metal surrounding it, intricately decorated with all colors. It moved slowly, lumbering into the crowd that parted before it to make a path through the sea of morkarans. 

Ard was even more curious as he found it was not the structure the Morkarans were so ecstatic to see, but a human woman atop it. 

She was tall, beautiful, with strait angular features and shoulder length red hair pulled back into a number of braids. Wearing a simple white gown she was a vision of power, peace and prosperity. Ard had no trouble recognizing her. 

A Morkaran announcer, next to the woman who herself was surrounded by guards of various species, spoke into a enhancer to all those of the citizenry. 

"Morkar, welcome that who cries for reelection, to the leader of justice and democracy; Supreme Chancellor Deska Ineir!" If it were possible for the Morkarans to cheer even louder, then they did. And why not, Chancellor Ineir had held the post for eight years, and as a senator was one of the first to offer aid to Morkar during its internal conflicts. 

Ard though was puzzled.

//Is it a coincidence that my Master and I are here just as the Chancellor is? // Ard shook his head, there were no coincidences, only the Force. 

Though Ard chastised himself for not keeping up with current events, he should have known that the chancellor would be making her tour through the citizenry of the Republic, it's member worlds would vote either for or against her at the upcoming elections, she had to ensure her reinstatement. 

Ard understood that there were already several other beings running against her for the post, and he knew that Senator Sle'tiv had already made his tour, but Ard hadn't thought the Chancellor would be touring so early. 

Her former tours had always been timed to be close to the time of voting. 

Hadn't they?

The time of Voting was still several months away, what had made her change her schedule?

Ard had never met the Chancellor in person, his sightings had always been distant, but what he grasped of her he found to be graceful, and noble. She was a fine chancellor to lead into a new golden age; her senate was uncorrupt and devoted to justice.

The float was closer now, and Ard saw many more guards than he had though was present, security was tight. He sensed awareness from them, caution and unease. With his eyes narrowed and his perceptions lengthened Ard could practically make out the nervous flicking of their gazing over the crowd, their hands straying to the blasters at their belts, and the nervous opening and closing of their hands. 

Something was wrong. 

Yet the Chancellor remained determined. 

Ard felt it behind him first, a tingling of incoming danger, and a warning to his own self. It had a conscious; its awareness cast a shadow over the sea of beings, the guards, and finally the Chancellor. 

Ard looked about worriedly, though not frantic, he searched. 

It was difficult to pinpoint in the rolling mass of beings, but as a shower of small pebbles and dust fell from above him, Ard leaned out and looked up at the stony roof of the housing. Not making anything out, Ard looked about for a means up to the roof. 

There were small flagpoles arranged outside at the top of the building, but they were far too high for Ard to reach in one bound, but he was certain that from those slim lines of metal he could reach the roof. 

Looking about Ard still had no means to reach the poles, his inattention to those near him almost caused an accident, as a large beam almost collided with his head.

Leaning out of the way, Ard saw that the large beam was attached to a long banner, which connected to a partner beam some fifty feet away. 

Ard judged the width of the beam to be about half a foot, and without second thoughts he jumped up. 

He prayed that the being holding the beam would not change it's position, as he landed atop it, his feet cramped together and his body struggling to remain aloft with balance. 

He wavered for a moment, his arms stretched out to his sides, head and back straight, he concentrated on his muscles and breathing to remain calm; one false or erratic movement and he would come toppling down. 

Pushing off with his right foot, Ard jumped high up, his arms stretched out, and grasped the thin metal flagpole. 

He did not waste time. 

Who was to say if the pole would hold his weight? 

Stretching out his legs, he brought them as far forward as he could, and managed to catch another pole hooked under his knees. Letting go the first, he brought his hands down, and managed to use his legs to let him hang upside down, his small braid falling straight down pointed at the ground. 

Letting his calf muscles relax he allowed himself to slide closer to the ground, until the only thing that was holding him above were his ankles hooked around the flagpole. 

He took three deep breaths, his chest filling with calm and acceptance, emptying with agitation and doubt. 

He released his ankles from their hold and started to fall, quickly he brought his hands up and caught the already bending flagpole, and allowed himself to use the weight of the metal to spring him upward. 

His arms outstretched, he managed to catch a hold on the cracked and old rooftop. Pebbles fell to the ground, but no morkaran noticed, they only continued to cheer. With a grunt Ard pulled himself up the roof, and had only a second of rest before he rolled to the side, dodging the large tree trunk of an arm that was aimed at his head. 

Pushing himself up to his feet Ard prepared to face his attacker, he was covered in dust, his pitch black tunic now streaked with bits of gray, but the ascension to the roof had not tired him, it had only served to strengthen his concentration. 

With a glance he made out not one attacker, but two, the other was on the far side of the roof; a large blaster rifle set to fire. It didn't take a genius to know that the being was aiming at the Chancellor. 

The first attacker, who prepared to make another hit at the young human, was a gran. Built like a rock, the beige three-eyed being took a threatening foot forward. 

Ard met the alien, and with no apparent effort, grabbed the hand that came to knock him in the face, and flipped the gran in a neat circle to lay him face first on the ground. With a passing of his hand over the back of the attacker's head, Ard exacted his influence on the alien, the being was slow witted and easily succumbed to Ard's mental suggestion to 'shut down'. 

Ard let go of the limp being, and turned to face the other attacker. 

The previous landing and attack had all merged into one second, and the second being turned in surprise to the young jedi.

This one was large and gray, heavily muscled, with a baldhead and pitch-black eyes. 

The two of them inched closer to one another, shortening the distance between them to only half a dozen feet. They slowly stepped sideways around in preparation, circling, eyes narrowed and alert. Adjacent to each other, the true contrast in their sizes was obvious. Ard's head only reached up to the alien's chest and his body seemed only half the width of the attacker's ridiculously muscled torso. 

The alien struck first, faster than the eye could see. But Ard had quicker eyes than average and he discerned it as a feint for the true strike, which was a blow with the attacker's right fist, aimed directly at Ard's middle. However, no one even saw Ard move he was so quick. One moment he was in front of the being, the next he had somehow twisted around his back and had grasped the being's shoulder with both hands. Then in an overhead swing, he threw the attacker over on to the ground, face first. 

Then did a backward hand-flip away and resumed position.

The assailant flipped on to his feet and wiped his hand over his mouth, a streak of red now on his palm, and smiled menacingly. 

Ard smiled in return, just before he launched a roundhouse at the large being. 

Surprisingly, the aliens blocked the powerful strike rather than dodge it. Immediately the attacker began to hammer at Ard faster, with complicated, but immensely powerful, hand and arm movements. But Ard blocked those too, almost lazily, using his forearms and elbows to parry, moving so fast that they were blurring. 

Then Ard suddenly stopped parrying the hits and twisted inside the attacker's circle of awareness, striking him in the stomach with an open-handed palm blow with his left hand. Blood flew out of the alien's mouth at the powerful blow as Ard continued the sequence with a right-handed palm blow to the face, then a roundhouse kick, the heel of his left foot striking the attacker's feet from under him. 

The alien handspringed back to his feet, and pivoted, his large right foot making contact with Ard's chest, sending him to fall onto his back. 

The being launched himself at the Padawan, his knee bent to make contact with the young man's chest; Ard rolled to the side swiftly and pushed himself to his feet. 

The alien threw another punch, Ard snapping his head to the side to dodge it, his own hand coming up to grasp it and twist it behind the older being's back. 

Ard was young, swift and limber. In one smooth motion, with his attacker bent over face to the ground, Ard brought his leg up to hit the being in the face. 

The assassin's body was forced back, and without hesitation he fell loudly to the ground, as Ard kicked the being's feet out from under him. 

Ard brought his leg up and then down, to come crashing into the attacker's chest, it's breath coming out in a rush. 

The Padawan jumped backward, out of the other's reach and giving time for the assassin to rise. 

As soon as he was to his feet, the being charged, Ard grabbed the alien and fell on his back, thinking to spring the being backwards with his feet.

In mid-roll the alien reversed the hold, and the beings came up together, struggling in eachother's grasp. 

Ard was being crushed alive with the alien holding the young Padawan in a bear hug, he struggled to breathe, and could only watch, as his vision grew even more clouded. His body was racked with pain already due to the long fall he had taken the previous night, and the long recovery since. 

He could see through his narrowed lids, the float making it's way further into the ground, the Chancellor oblivious to the danger and the guards unaware of any change. 

Ard would black out soon, and in his mind's eye he reached into the cautious and powerful minds of the guards, centered on nothing but the chancellor's protection. 

Ard tracked along this train of thought, looking for an opening into one of the guard's minds, making his way past memories and thoughts, until he opened up into that of actions. 

//Danger// His mind cried, the guard he was centered on only blinked. //Chancellor// Ard was getting nowhere, and he struggled frantically against the large aliens grip. //_Danger_// 

The guard brought his blast rifle up to bear and, to the puzzled looks of his comrades, began searching the rooftops frantically. 

Soon the other guards did the same, and it was not long before one shouted for the chancellor to get down, and the others tracked their weapons along the paths of the two figures on the roof. 

Ard almost sighed in relief. 

The crowd began to disperse, crying in fright, women took their children to safety. 

Cimdle looked about for the young jedi.

And Ard realized that he was still in danger, the guards did not know who he was, Ard had not been able to distinguish himself in the guard's mind, and they were too far away for them to have a proper look. 

The guards fired. 

Their large blast rifles erupted blast after blast of laser energy, all pinpointed to the dark mass atop the roof. 

Stone flew as the laser fire burned into the roof, dust rose and small tracks of rapid fire cut a path into the duracreet. 

Ard struggled with the being as the blasts grew closer, finally he managed to free one arm and knocked his elbow into the being's large chin, snapping it's head back. 

Reaching into his tunic, Ard pulled out the thin metal cylinder that he kept hidden in its fabric. The being's eyes widened at the sight of the lazersword, the weapon of the jedi that Ard had decided to keep inoperative until that moment. 

To him the lightsaber was not so much a weapon as a symbol of honor and exercise, he used it only when he had to, it's power like a tender lover's kiss. 

With a flick of his wrist Ard ignited the weapon, it's green blade thrust upward instantly with a snap-hiss, and the being pushed him out of the way immediately. 

The red lances of energy continued on their course, only to be deflected at the last moment by the jedi weapon. Ard swung the saber from the left to the right, in great circular motions, twirling himself in an intricate dance. 

The alien had, until that moment, been standing in surprise, jaw-hanging open slightly. But Ard had not deflected all the bolts, and several beams of raw energy charged into the being, crashing and burning their way into it's chest. 

The laser fire stopped, the dust cleared, and Ard stood atop the roof. His black suit now covered in dust, lightsaber held defensively before him, he watched as the alien clutched at its chest, swayed slightly and then fell to the ground. 

The alien was dead, Ard having felt its life force leave its body, as it breathed its last breath.

Ard stood for a time, his thoughts churning dangerously. 

//All is not as it seems with the Chancellor, and I know it has something to do with my master and I. // Ard looked out at the sea of beings, the frightened chancellor, and the guards who were running to the roof's building, and sighed. //I have a bad feeling about this. //

END OF CHAPTER I

P.S

PLEASE REVIEW THIS!!!! NO ONE REVIEWED MY OTHER STORY 'TIDE OF VENGEANCE'!!!!

HOW AM I SUPPPOSED TO KNOW IF MY WRITING IS ANY GOOD????


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